Tag Archives: Beats

Last time we checked in with Beats by Dre, the high-end headphones were all the rage among equally high-profile names. Everyone, from Gwen Stefani to Lil Wayne, and even the Biebs was sporting a pair, making them one of the hottest brands of its kind on the market.

But the top of the line headphones are about to get down and dirty, extreme sports style, in a new collaboration with Swedish company POC, a maker of protective sports gear. Ladies and gentlemen, behold the new Receptor BUG Helmet.

This brand spanking new snowboarding helmet comes with a pair of Beats by Dre built right into the neckroll.

"With the remote control, compatible with most smart phones, you can take calls and switch songs and adjust volume right from the cord. No more fumbling with gloves to find your cell phone or music player," says POC.

Of course, this is by no means the first ski or snowboard helmet to incorporate headphones for listening while you ride the slopes. But it's an interesting, though not really surprising, collaboration for the Beats brand, which has already caught on in the world of pro sports. (Lebron James already has a pair.)

Incipio's Armband for iPod Touch 4G will make workouts more fun as you listen on the go

Christmas isn't even here yet and you're probably already surrounded by sweets and other high-calorie fare. From office holiday parties to the tempting seasonal goodies on view every time you shop for groceries, it can sometimes feel like the battle to stay fit over the holidays is lost before it's even begun.

Of course, there are ways to make it a little easier to keep on top of your health and weight this Christmas. But since we're not doctors or nutritionists, we'll forego the usual talk about calorie consumption and dietary planning and focus instead on what we do know – gadgets.

If you've decided to start working out now, rather than tack "exercise more" onto your list of resolutions this January, a good place to start is with some accessories that'll make your fitness routine a little more fun.

But hey, this is 2012, and your headphones are probably going to plug into something a little more high-tech than a portable radio (yes those existed.) A lot of accessories makers now produce armbands for your smartphone or media player, specifically designed to make your device accessible while you "get physical."

It's not easy to get back into exercising after a long break, but having so many cool gadgets and accessories to keep us entertained and motivated is a big bonus, and it definitely beats the post-holiday guilt . Good luck!

With EQ setting, Beats headphones and the iPhone could be the perfect match. Image courtesy of MJ Rodriguez Photography.

So, despite their massive popularity – which even extends to celebrities like Lebron James, Lil Wayne, Gwen Stefani, and other a-listers – the Beats by Dre line of headphones has got a sort of questionable rep since its release.

The collection of high-end headphones has been criticized as having a sound that's too bass-y and artificial to warrant their equally high-end price tag.

Moreover, as Mashable notes, the headphones – which are compatible with Apple devices like iPhone, iPad and iPod – are probably better suited to a recording studio, where you get a range of sound equalizing options, than to a phone or tablet.

Still, there are some who'd prefer a more balanced sound from the ragingly popular headphones, even if they're listening to tunes on their mobile device. And, according to Mashable, there is a "secret iPhone setting that makes Beats headphones sound better."

We're not really sure how "secret" this is, but here's how to equalize your sound for your own tastes. By default, your iPhone has the equalizer (EQ) turned off. To access it, turn it on, and choose from two dozen settings, go to:

Settings >> Music >> EQ.

Go to Settings, then Music, then EQ. Play around til you're happy.

From there, you can select Bass Reducer, to reduce the boominess of bass when listening to with your Beats. If you actually love bass and want even more of it, there are settings like Late Night and Bass Booster too, as well as settings for particular music genres, from classical to jazz, hip hop, and electronica.

Just play around until you're satisfied. It's certainly no recording studio with its plethora of controls, settings and levels. We are talking about a phone after all. But it's certainly closer to the setup that Beats were probably intended for than your basic, un-levelled listening device.

But for us gadget lovers, there's star tech. We're always dying to know what devices the celebrities are using, and how they dress them up. So this week, the Pure Mobile blog has scoped out the hottest mobile accessories in Hollywood.

The good news? You don't have to be rich and famous to steal these stars' gadget style.

1: Hugh Jackman's lime green iPad case

We're green with envy for Hugh Jackman's lime iPad case

Judging by his taste for green mobile accessories, you'd think Wolverine actor Hugh Jackman might have preferred to play a different superhero – the Hulk. He was spotted with this bright green iPad case while out and about.

When you're the President, you can't exactly go flashing a smartphone case with rhinestones on it. Instead, U.S. President Barack Obama keeps it classic, with a black leather Blackberry pocket sleeve on his belt.

Hollywood, and recording artists in particular, seem to be obsessed with Beats headphones. The Beats by Dr. Dre line includes earbuds too, but it's the over-the-ear Beats models that have racked up a list of celebrity fans like Gwen Stefani, Lebron James, Justin Bieber and tons more.

Gwen Stefani's more modest Beats headphones lack the precious jewels

Lil Wayne even has a special pair of diamond-encrusted Beats headphones, though we're thinking those are probably pretty hard to come by. Still, you can rock stardom's leading headphones in models that don't cost more than than a king's ransom.